Mind - This theory is probably completely bogus, but finding information on Masahiko Yoshimura is a real pain in the arse.

As many more hardcore fans are probably aware, the composer of Shining in the Darkness and Shining Force - Masahiko Yoshimura - has those two titles only under their belt.

This seems a bit unusual, especially considering the Shining Force soundtrack in particular is fairly popular and high quality.

I decided to go sniffing about, and came about the fact that the man Masahiko Yoshimura and Motoaki Takenouchi - the latter being the composer for many of the later Shining games, and having a huge broader discography, both started developing games music around the same time. Yoshimura with Shining in the Darkness releasing around March, 1991, and Takenouchi's Jewel Master coming around August, 1991.

Something that also struck me is SOME musical similarities between Shining Force and Landstalker, but that might just be me overanalyzing the broader aesthetic similarities between the two titles.

Anyway, it's known that Takenouchi took over composing for the Shining series by late 1992, with Shining Force Gaiden.

It's also known that budget constraints lead to Shining Force II losing a lot of art staff, and having to re-hire new ones.

Essentially, my theory proposes that Masahiko Yoshimura is just a pen name - a false name to work behind - for Motoaki Takenouchi.I don't have any real rationale behind this, beyond Yoshimura's suspiciously small discography and sudden disappearing off the face of the Earth - and the fact that Shining Force II bled a LOT of staff members works against this theory.

Why would they work behind a pen name, if this theory is true? I don't know. Maybe it's a contractual thing?...I'm asking here because you guys are far smarter than me. And maybe know a lot more to the story that I do not know. And I'm aware I'm probably making a giant ass of myself with all this wild mass guessing going on in this post.